Suspect caught, another sought in home invasion Police believe second man fled in car he stole later NTC

November 16, 1997|By Jill Hudson | Jill Hudson,SUN STAFF

Howard County police had one suspect in custody and were searching yesterday for another who is believed to have hijacked a car to escape after a home-invasion robbery at a Columbia apartment building.

Two women and their four children were terrified but unhurt in the robbery, which occurred about 6: 30 p.m. Friday in the 12200 block of Green Meadow Drive in Harper's Choice village.

According to police, one of the women was accosted by two men after taking out the trash.

She was forced inside and, at gunpoint, she and a visiting friend, along with their four children, were ordered into a room.

The intruders ransacked the apartment, stealing undisclosed items before fleeing -- at the same time county officers were arriving to investigate a report of a break-in.

One officer was confronted and assaulted by one of the suspects, who fled with police in pursuit.

He was caught in a neighboring townhouse community, police said.

The other suspect was believed to have committed a carjacking minutes later at the Clary's Crossing apartment complex in the 11300 block of Little Patuxent Parkway, where he choked a woman to get her car keys and forced her passenger out of the vehicle before driving away.

Arrested in the home-invasion incident was Troy A. Duckett, 24, of the 1100 block of Dlong Road in Catonsville.

He was being held last night on charges of robbery, assault, burglary, false imprisonment and use of a handgun in a felony.

Police said the attacker in the carjacking was described as black, in his mid-20s, 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall and muscular, wearing dark clothing, and last seen in the stolen purple 1996 Saturn with Maryland tags 335-AXH.